Broken ankle first day with a boot
Posted , 6 users are following.
i have been in a fixator , a splint , and now a cast for 14 weeks. Dr might put me in a boot tomorrow. What should I expect? Still in wheel chair for how long? Use walker? Use a cane?
0 likes, 9 replies
margie41357 ronald49027
Posted
Well you should start slow. I walked with both crutches and boot , that is 50% of your weight then I progressed to one crutch and walker( more hands free than crutch. I now use a cane. I'm hoping to get rid of this walking boot soon . You will have lots of sore muscles at first , not necessarily in your ankle. My advice is take it slow if you overdue you may end up having to take a few days off to recover. My doc said do as much as tolerated, when you are I. A lot of pain stop and rest, ice elevate.
Bridg ronald49027
Posted
Big improvement getting the boot. I was in a cast with no weight barring for 6 weeks after my ankle surgery. Now I wear the boot and started slow with partial weight barring as much as I can kope with. I use the wheelchair only when I cook to move faster from the fridge to the owen. I will be in a book for another 5 weeks and I plan increasing the weight I put on my injured leg and losing a crutch, then both. It's a long process and patience is the key. Good luck.
sandra81957 ronald49027
Posted
Fingers xsd you get the boot!! I'm stuck up in my bedroom as I'm just not good on the stairs and cannot manage the step up then lower dwn to get to my downstairs loo so easier to stay upstairs!! Crawling the walls too much time to think!!
jenni_24876 ronald49027
Posted
Did your doctor recommend wearing a shoe of equal height to moonboot to minimise hip damage from walking at differing heights. I m 8 weeks since injury plate and screws but oh so painful nerve damage too painful to wear boot. It pressed on wound and gave Tazar like pain. Surgeon said not to wear it if it caused pain even breeze or running water in shower is painful. Wound and bone healing well. I'm cruches and wheelchair when pain gets too bad. Light weight bearing. Foot still blows up which I'm told is normal. Have many people tell me about hip damage from different footwear heights so an so glad I couldn't use it. I wish you a speedy recovery. I know I'm so over it. Depression not as bad tho just frustrated.
shelagh21337 jenni_24876
Posted
Hi jenni
What did you have plated? I've had my tibia plated /screws but they left my broken fibula to heal on its own. I had 2 weeks with a cast on then when I had my sutures out they changed me to a boot. I'm now 4 weeks post surgery. I'm getting terrible pains in my foot that I'm wondering if it's tendon damage 😢. They told me I could rest my boot on the floor but not weight bear, but it sends crushing pains in my foot , and I keep getting cramping pains too. My tibial break feels fine but my fibula one aches. I've taken the boot off to shower and am worried I have moved it too much or something- first physio tomorrow so hoping to get some reassurance.
It's a relief to find some people on here with similar experiences- I'm worried about the speed the weight bearing will develop if I continue to have these awful pains in my foot .
jenni_24876 shelagh21337
Posted
Hi shelagh mine is opposite to yours. Tib fractured fib broken plated. 9cm cut from placement of plate. healing great just nerve pain. Last night I did light exersize with it in a large tub of warm water. Felt so good got rid of a lot of dying skin. When I'm in wheelchair I have equalising foot wear. Shoe on good foot slip on on bad as I use both to light walk while wheeling has taken a lot of stress out of knee from holding bad up all the time. I hope your pysio eases your mind. The surgeon put 3 months ongoing for 2 years on medical certificate and I freaked dr explained it takes time for nerve to heal properly so they know it shouldn't take that long but cover it for the extreme. Good luck. .
shelagh21337 jenni_24876
Posted
Hi jenni
Thanks. First physio yesterday- he told me off for not toe walking in my boot (said it's like walking on egg shells) but I'm so anxious that it's too soon. It doesn't "hurt" but it aches when I do it. It's a strange sensation but as I can't manage far on crutches anyway I'm probably not going to do it as much as he wants me to. I've got hydrotherapy next week . He also told me to not wear the boot unless I'm walking so had my first nights sleep without it last night and slept really well. No swelling this morning . Now have to try to build myself to this toe walking today and try to stop worrying it's too soon !!
jenni_24876 shelagh21337
Posted
How the heck can you eggshell walk in a heavy boot. I guess my tiptoe in wheelchair is eggshell walking. I light weight bare and it does hurt a lot so I go between cruches and chair. But the bucket soak I guess is like hydro therapy and is awesome. slept last night for 7 hours it was amazing. I've not slept properly in 8 weeks. First with the side effects of meds then pain. I'm still freaking out when I hear of others that end up off work for 6 months. Guess we can be grateful it's a temporary ailment. I have a brother who lost his leg to a drunk driver. So I count my blessings every day and each day see improvement. Take care of you and only do what your body tells you to. Nobody except you can feel your pain xxxxjen
margie41357 jenni_24876
Posted
I'm at month 5 and just progressing to a shoe. It hurts to be in it for very long. I still need a crutch or cane. I was walking unaided in the. It but had a lot of knee and hip pain. Physio told me to progress to the shoe but it is harder and hurts more and I can't get around as much yet. I have to have my pate out in 3 weeks then I will be delayed again for walking. It is a long process and I know it will be longer than 6 months for me. Good luck!
That bucket of warm water sounds soothing!!!
Margie